The 3 - July 30, 2017

In this edition of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is news from the U.K. that infant Charlie Gard has passed away, the result of a rare medical condition.  Also, health care reform in the U.S. Senate was turned back again.  Plus, the President made an announcement about transgender individuals no longer being allowed to serve in the military.

3 - Charlie Gard removed from life support, passes away

Charlie Gard, the 11-month-old British child with a debilitating condition, who was prevented from being released from a London hospital, passed away early Friday morning. The parents' attorney had announced earlier in the week that nothing more could be done to improve Charlie's condition. A Baptist Press article stated: "Charlie died in hospice care a week short of his first birthday, Aug. 4, after being removed from a ventilator." Charlie's parents wanted to remove him from the hospital in order to receive treatment elsewhere, but, as the story related:

The Great Ormond Street Hospital, where Charlie was a patient, refused to permit the therapy and received the backing of British courts and the European Court of Human Rights for removal of his life support.

The story said, "Pro-life advocates grieved the infant's death after the legal battle that came at the intersection of the sanctity of human life, medical ethics and parental rights."

Catherine Glenn Foster, president of Americans United for Life, is quoted in the article: "We are so thankful for his life, which though too brief, has made a lasting impact on the world and drawn together people from all walks of life and political persuasions, uniting them around the dignity and value of every human being."

2 - Health care reform fails, Planned Parenthood funding continues

In a dramatic early-morning vote, the U.S. Senate early Friday turned back another effort to revise the Affordable Care Act, in what was called the "skinny repeal."  It would have, among other things, removed the individual mandate to buy health insurance and would have defunded Planned Parenthood for a year.  Susan B. Anthony List was disappointed that this legislation, containing pro-life provisions, was defeated.  On its website, you can read, regarding the priorities of preventing taxpayer funding of abortion:

We had to fight for the inclusion of these priorities, and then fight for their retention. But we were successful. And last night would have brought us one step closer to the finish line. One step closer to protecting unborn children from a taxpayer-funded death and defunding abortion giant Planned Parenthood of $400 million. Instead, we’ve been dramatically set back.

This piece, written by SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser, stated:

Obamacare is likely to continue its downward spiral, likely forcing Congress to act. Already last night, there are hints this will be attempted in a bi-partisan fashion. We will fight for and demand that Hyde Amendment protections are included in any reforms.

1 - President reinstates ban on transgenders serving in military

This week, President Trump made the announcement that transgender individuals would no longer be allowed to serve in the military.  The Defense Department is expected to work out the details, but there are evangelical leaders who believe this is a step in the right direction, reversing a policy that just went into effect just over a year ago.

According to a Religion News Service article, during an impromptu gathering of religious leaders with the President, the subject was discussed. The article states that a spokesman for the group, Johnnie Moore, "said the policy on transgender people serving in the military had not been on the agenda for the meeting. It was one of many topics that came up throughout the day, including health care, taxes, religious liberty and judicial appointments." He is quoted as saying, "We briefly discussed this issue..."

RNS also reports that "the evangelicals followed up with a signed letter asking the president to reverse the Obama era policy allowing transgender people to serve in the military, Moore added." The article linked to a tweet by David Brody of CBN News.  The letter was written by Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, who was at the meeting, which grew out of a meeting at another building close to the White House.

USA Today reported on President Trump's announcement on Twitter:

In a series of morning tweets, Trump said that, after consulting "with my generals and military experts," the U.S. government "will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military."

The U.S. military, he said, "must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail."

Trump's decision was made Tuesday, and he informed Defense Secretary Jim Mattis later in the day, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters Wednesday. The policy allowing transgender troops to serve was "expensive and disruptive" and affected military readiness, she said.

Fox News reports that:

In a memo to service chiefs and commanders, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford, Jr. declared no changes to the policy until "the President’s direction has been received by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary has issued implementation guidance" -- which has not yet happened.

The 3 - July 23, 2017

On this week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is good news, but guardedly so, out of China about a Christian activist who was recently released from prison.  Also, a Federal appeals court has found the prayer practice of a group of North Carolina county commissioners unconstitutional.  Plus, even the revision of that state's privacy law isn't enough for some who are pursuing the gay agenda; and Texas legislators are considering a privacy bill of their own.

3 - China releases Christian activist

A Christian activist in China who has been in prison for four years has been released, but his supporters are concerned he will continue to live under the watchful eye of the Chinese government. The Christian Post website reported that: "A leading lawyer and activist, Xu Zhiyong, who is a Christian, was released by the Chinese authorities Saturday as he completed a four-year prison sentence."

Xu was convicted in 2013 of "gathering a crowd to disturb public order." The Post report said:

Xu had refused to defend himself in court, as he said the trial had been rigged. Foreign diplomats and journalists were not allowed to attend his trial.

 At the end of his trial, Xu gave a speech, in which he also talked about his Christian faith.

"Freedom, justice, and love, these are our core values and what guides us in action," he said in the speech. "You may find my ideas too far-out, too unrealistic, but I believe in the power of faith, and in the power of the truth, compassion and beauty that exists in the depths of the human soul, just as I believe human civilization is advancing mightily like a tide."

Xu is 44 years old, and the article says that those who support him "fear that the authorities will keep him under close watch or effective house arrest, even as some social media posts said security guards and plain-clothed officers barred people from visiting him at his home after his release."

Bob Fu of China Aid had told The Christian Post that "the top leadership is increasingly worried about the rapid growth of Christian faith and their public presence, and their social influence. It is a political fear for the Communist Party, as the number of Christians in the country far outnumber the members of the Party."

2 - Federal appeals court rules against county's prayer policy

It wasn't too long ago when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that prayer prior to town meetings in Greece, New York were constitutional.  However, the area of prayer before public meetings has come into question again, and a ruling by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals may mean that the issue will be back before the high court.

According to the WORLD website, the appeals court declared that the Rowan County, NC board of commissioners was engaging in a prayer practice that was “unconstitutionally coercive.” Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson wrote in the majority opinion, which included nine other judges: “The prayer practice served to identify the government with Christianity and risked conveying to citizens of minority faiths a message of exclusion..." Five judges dissented. Earlier, a three-judge panel from the 4th Circuit had, according to WORLD, ruled "in favor of the county, as long as the commissioners didn’t pressure audience members to participate." But, the plaintiffs had requested a hearing in front of the entire court.

The distinction between this case and the Greece case? The WORLD report said: "The U.S. Supreme Court has previously ruled in favor of clergy-led public prayer at government meetings, but the Rowan County case raises the issue of prayer offered by public servants. Only the commissioners in Rowan County lead pre-meeting prayers."

1 - Private matters: Challenges to revised privacy law in NC, Texas Legislature deals with privacy bill

The bill in North Carolina that provided for individuals in government buildings to use the restroom facilities corresponding to their biological gender instead of their so-called "gender identity," was revised earlier this year, presumably to get major sports events coming back to the state.  But, while the rewrite was devastating in the arena of privacy, apparently, it didn't go far enough in satisfying the proponents of the LGBT agenda in the state.

The Charlotte Observer reported:

The American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal, an LGBT rights law firm, filed documents in federal court on Friday seeking to amend a lawsuit filed last year against HB2 to center its claims on the law adopted in March to replace it.

The documents contend the law replacing HB2 “discriminates against transgender individuals with respect to one of life’s most basic and essential bodily functions – using the restroom – and, until December 2020, blocks local governments from protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people against discrimination in employment and public accommodations.”

The revised bill contained a moratorium on local "nondiscrimination" ordinances through the year 2020.

Meanwhile, Texas lawmakers have been considering a privacy bill of their own. Family Policy Alliance reports that:

Earlier this year, the Texas Senate passed the Texas Privacy Act that guarded Texans’ privacy in areas such as showers, locker rooms and restrooms. But Speaker Joe Straus blocked the bill from even receiving a vote in the Texas House.

The legislature is in special session, and this bill is back under consideration.  As FPA states, "With Texas only holding legislative sessions in odd-numbered years, it’s paramount that this commonsense legislation is passed now."  The website has an action center for citizens to voice their point of view on this important matter.

The 3 - July 16, 2017

This week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes good news about replacing a Ten Commandments monument in Arkansas.  Also, the rights of churches to select their own leaders was upheld by a Federal appeals court.  Plus, the U.S. House decided to commit billions to gender reassignment surgery for members of our Armed Forces.

3 - Movie company to help restore Ten Commandments monument in Arkansas

Last month, a man drove a vehicle into a 6-foot Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Arkansas State Capitol less than 24 hours after it was installed, according to a story on the ArkansasOnline.com website, which reported that the man apparently live-streamed the act on Facebook.

But an identical monument will be installed on the Capitol grounds, according to Senator James Rapert, who had sponsored the original legislation authorizing the monument, The Hill website reported.  The site said that $55,000 in private donations had been raised, according to the senator. 

That includes $25,000 from Pure Flix, which is a Christian film production company.
ChristianHeadlines.com reported on the company's donation.  The exterior of the Arkansas State Capitol was used as the courthouse housing the courtroom where pivotal scenes took place in the film, God's Not Dead 2, which was a Pure Flix production.

2 - Church's ability to select its own leaders upheld in Federal appeals court

An important decision came out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in the case of Fratello v. Archdiocese of New York, which, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom website, upheld "the freedom of a church to decide who will serve as its religious leaders."

Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Jeremiah Galus stated:

“The First Amendment plainly protects a church’s freedom to decide who serves as its religious leaders, as the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged only five years ago. The 2nd Circuit correctly recognized that this freedom extends to choosing a religious school’s principal—a position that is perhaps a school’s most important. Governmental inference here would have amounted to nothing less than state control of a religious school—something the First Amendment clearly forbids. ADF was honored to file a friend-of-the-court brief in this case on behalf of the Orthodox Church in America, which supports the foundational constitutional freedom that the Second Circuit upheld.”

The Catholic News Agency, giving some background on the case, stated that the school, St. Anthony's in Nanuet, NY...

...had decided in 2011 not to renew the contract of its then-principal Joanne Fratello because of her alleged “insubordination” shown to the pastor of St. Anthony’s parish.

Fratello later alleged that the contract decision was a case of sex-based discrimination, and she filed a lawsuit against the school and the archdiocese. She said that she had been hired in a lay capacity, and thus the archdiocese would not be exempt from a discrimination lawsuit under the “ministerial exception.”

The “ministerial exception” forbids the government from intervening in the employment of a minister by a church, as part of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

This exception was at the heart of the Hosanna-Tabor ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the appeals court found that the exception did apply, which was the position that the archdiocese had taken.

ADF has been in the news recently because of an ABC News story calling it a "anti-LGBT hate group." FoxNews.com stated that this label was applied to the organization after Attorney General Session spoke to it.

Kerri Kupec of ADF is quoted as saying, "Nothing could be further from the truth," and said that the network is "encouraging this lack of civil discourse." ADF has accused ABC of "journalistic malpractice" and has "asked for an apology and retraction of the story."


1 - U.S. House votes to fund sex change surgery for members of the military

Here is some alarming news out the U.S. House of Representatives, which took a vote on a provision of the National Defense Authorization Act.  In a 214-209 vote, our elected lawmakers voted to spend $3.7 billion dollars on gender reassignment surgery for members of the military, according to Family Research Council.

These are the people's representatives, right?  Well, consider this from FRC:

According to the latest Rasmussen polling, only 23 percent of the country agrees with them that opening the doors to the gender-confused is good for the military. Add in the sky-high costs of treatments and lost deployment time, and that number would probably look generous by comparison. Like most service chiefs, Americans don't understand how anyone could justify spending billions on a radical medical procedure when the same amount could buy a Navy destroyer, 22 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Planes, 3,700 tomahawk missiles, or 116 Chinook helicopters.

And there's more on the "transgenders in the military" front:  The Washington Free Beacon reports that even though Defense Secretary Mattis has delayed a proposed policy to integrate transgender soldiers into the military, "hour-long mandatory training" is being conducted on dealing with transgender issues.  The story states:

The Army is still moving forward with its transgender training, which is conducted in the morning in place of physical training, the Federalist reported.

The guidelines reveal that soldiers only need to get a diagnosis from a medical doctor and change their gender in a database before showering with the opposite sex.

The Army's tips for an "inclusive environment" include no gossip.

"Social interactions and developing friendships with peers are what contribute to a positive work environment," the training states. "Maintain an inclusive environment and do not gossip. In accordance with good order and discipline, do not ask a colleague or subordinate for their personal information unless it is mission related."

The 3 - July 9, 2017

In this week's edition of The 3, there is a story about a public university in Oklahoma that attempted to remove religious symbols from its chapel, only to backtrack after there was opposition to the move.  Also, a major, Christian-owned craft store chain that is launching a new Bible museum in the fall, has settled with the government over artifacts that could have been removed illegally from the Middle East.  And, the gripping story of little Charlie Gard continues, as the hospital that was so adamant in keeping Charlie there, only to lose his life, is now perhaps reconsidering it decision to not allow Charlie's parents to seek treatment elsewhere.

3 - State university in OK backtracks on removal of religious symbols

A public university in Oklahoma, East Central University, has apologized for its attempt to remove religious symbols from the campus chapel recently.  According to a story on the Faithwire website:

East Central University officials have received massive backlash for their decision to remove various Christian symbols and icons from the campus chapel last month following legal threats from Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

In a statement posted on East Central’s website, President Katricia Pierson noted that the university is “immediately withdrawing” all efforts to remove religious items, such as Latin crosses and Bibles, from the chapel.

Faithwire states that "Pierson claimed the initial decision to remove Christian items from the chapel was intended to 'show support for all cultures and religious beliefs' and honor 'different perspectives.'"

So the symbols were removed and now have apparently been restored, according to another Faithwire story, which says that the university will form a special “committee of students, faculty, and community members who represent a diversity of viewpoints to study the issue.”

State Attorney General Mike Hunter has apparently studied the issue. The Faithwire report quotes from a Campus Reform story, that stated the AG sent a letter to the school's Board of Regents, in which he said he would "defend the religious freedom of Oklahomans from misleading tactics such as the ones employed by Americans United for Separation of Church and State..."

2 - Hobby Lobby reaches settlement on Middle East artifacts

Later this year, the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC will open.  It is being built by the Green family, who own the Hobby Lobby chain of craft stores.

There was a particularly concerning aspect related to this new museum: it has been under Federal investigation related to the obtaining of certain artifacts.  According to Christianity Today, Hobby Lobby president Steve Green, who is also chairman of the museum, "has surrendered thousands of cuneiform tablets and seals bought by Hobby Lobby, after federal prosecutors determined the material came from war-torn Iraq and not Turkey or Israel as customs forms had claimed."

The story also states that, "His company also paid a $3 million fine in a settlement, federal officials announced yesterday in district court."

The CT article also says:

According to prosecutors, Hobby Lobby did not adequately check out the purported owner: a dealer based in the United Arab Emirates who sent the materials to its Oklahoma City offices labeled erroneously as “ceramic tiles” or “clay tiles (sample).” Several were intercepted by federal customs officials, who began investigating the company in 2015 over what was initially believed to be a few hundred questionable artifacts.

The story does say that, "The Museum of the Bible, slated to open in Washington, DC, in November, stated that none of the artifacts identified in the settlement belonged to its collection."

1 - Pro-life organizations, Pope Francis, and President Trump stand together for Charlie Gard

The story of 11-month-old Charlie Gard has captured worldwide attention, including from high-profile officials and pro-life leaders.  Charlie has a rare condition, and the British hospital where he is currently staying had decided that it was time to terminate life support.  The hospital had received two favorable court rulings - one British, one European - and even though the parents desired for him to leave that hospital and seek treatment elsewhere, the hospital was unmoved.

Enter Pope Francis and President Trump.  According to Family Research Council:

In a statement on the crisis, the Pope said the parents' rights to treat their son "until the end" should be respected. "To defend human life, above all when it is wounded by illness, is a duty of love that God entrusts to all." The White House also stepped in the gap, contacting the family to see what can be done. As Donald Trump tweeted, "If we can help little #CharlieGard, as per our friends in the U.K. and the Pope, we would be delighted to do so." Even 37 members of the European Parliament have demanded the hospital step back. This decision, they write, "infringes [on] Europe's most fundamental values, particularly the right to life, the right to human dignity, and personal integrity."

FRC was one of a number of pro-life organizations that issued a joint statement in the past week.  It was stated in it, according to the FRC website, "In past situations of similar circumstances, the patient or their family has always had the option of finding alternative care and that's exactly what Charlie's parents have done. This is their child and they want to use money they have raised from private donors around the world to provide him access to a treatment option that has had some success with a related condition."

It looks as if the hospital is willing to take a second look. BBC reports that: "Great Ormond Street Hospital has applied for a fresh hearing in the case of Charlie Gard following claims of  'new evidence relating to potential treatment for his condition.'"  The story continued:

It comes after seven medical experts suggested unpublished data showed therapy could improve the 11-month-old's brain condition.

Previously, the High Court said it was unlikely a US doctor offering to treat Charlie would be able to cure him.

GOSH said it would "explore" the data.

Charlie's case will be heard by Mr Justice Francis on Monday at 14:00 BST, according to a High Court listing.